Nissan Leaf Nismo RC to Appear at NY Auto Show

There are quite a few differences between the Nissan Leaf that the public are familiar with and the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC prototype. The changes had to be made to adapt the new Nissan for racing conditions, and the vehicle will be making its debut at the New York Auto Show 2011. It was designed by the motorsport group of Nissan, and it is hoped that this electric car will make a positive impact on the racing industry.

To begin with, the power of the vehicle is now directed to the back wheels by moving the inverter and lithium-ion battery pack. The synchronous (80k W) motor also has a very high response, allowing the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC to generate 207 lb-ft of torque and an amazing 107 horsepower. To racing enthusiasts, these statistics might not sound like much, but with the car’s battery being similar to a stock battery, they are able to get eighty percent charge from it. Of course the vehicle itself needed to be adjusted accordingly, increasing the length of the racing Nissan by 0.8 inches as well as dropping its height by 13.9 inches, giving it a ground clearance of 2.4 inches. Its wheelbase also had to be adjusted, and was made shorter by 3.9 inches. Its width was increased by 6.7 inches. In total, the racing edition of the Nissan Leaf now weighs 2 068 pounds and is able to reach speeds of sixty-two miles per hour in 6.85 seconds, and can reach a top speed of ninety-three miles per hour. When racing, it is expected to be able to maintain these speeds for at least twenty minutes.

The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC is the first step towards the vision that Nissan has for future racing, to create an industry that is still as exciting as it is today, but with no emissions. Chairman of Nissan Americas, Carlos Taveres, commented on the car’s appearance at the New York Auto Show, saying: “Combining the talents of NISMO, Nissan’s world renowned motorsports group, and engineers behind some of the company’s Super GT and FIA GT1 race teams, the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC will serve as a rolling laboratory for the accelerated development of EV and aerodynamic systems, as well as a platform for the development of new green motorsports series.”